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Archive for the tag “Wendy Oldfield”

Acid rain is not good for the planet. According to Wikipedia, ‘Acid rain is a rain or any other form of precipitation that is unusually acidic, meaning that it has elevated levels of hydrogen ions (low pH). It can have harmful effects on plants, aquatic animals and infrastructure.’ But you can’t always rely on what you read on Wikipedia now can you. Because if your acid rain of choice happens to be this little masterpiece by Wendy ‘she of Sweatband fame’ Oldfield it won’t be as destructive. In fact it is designed to counteract the effects of the rain Wikipedia refers to.

Appearing on her 1999 album, ‘On A Pale Blue Dot’, this ‘Acid Rain’ has a haunting quality to it that is somewhat apocalyptic. It drags emptiness and desertion in its wake as it ploughs a lone furrow across a descimated landscape. The echo-ey music wraps a cold hand around Wendy’s troubled vocals while a heartbeat beep runs through the song like a delicious Chinese drip torture.

And this is all strangely beautiful. It has a pulse that thobs to a sultry rhythm. It burrows itself into your mind, causing your complete surrender to the dark landscape it conjures up. This is quite different to the Sweatband stuff. It’s not rocky and poppy. It’s serious and seductive. The end of the world never sounded so good.